Failure to Diagnose or Treat Bowel Obstruction
We expect our doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals to provide us with the utmost care, addressing our medical problems and performing life-saving procedures that enhance our well-being. Sadly, mistakes by medical professionals can threaten lives and also prove fatal. This sort of negligence cannot go unpunished.
When you meet with our medical malpractice attorneys in Utah, we will be sure to discuss all of your legal options to ensure that you and your loved ones receive just compensation for injuries and damages. Right now, our legal team would like to focus on a serious medical issue that can affect people of all ages: bowel obstruction.
What is a bowel obstruction?
Bowel obstruction refers to blockage of either the small intestine or the large intestine. This blockage may be complete or just partial. Both are serious, however, since they impede the passage of digested food through your system. In general, obstruction of the small intestine/bowel is more common than obstruction of the large intestine/bowel.
There are two causes of bowel obstructions:
- Mechanical obstructions - These kinds of bowel obstructions involve the narrowing of the bowel, tumors in the bowel, scar tissue in the bowel, or twisting of the bowel.
- Functional obstructions - These kinds of bowel obstructions involve systemic conditions (e.g., kidney stones), abnormalities with electrolytes, and use of narcotics.
No matter the cause, our Salt Lake City medical negligence lawyers take cases of misdiagnosis and poor treatment seriously.
Symptoms and Signs of Bowel Obstruction
The most common symptoms of bowel obstruction include:
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
Should you notice any combination of these, be sure to visit your doctor so that the matter can be examined with due care.
What happens if a bowel obstruction goes undiagnosed?
If bowel obstruction goes undiagnosed, symptoms will worsen. It can result in the death of the small or large intestine, which would cause a major system shock to your body. This will cause a patient's blood pressure to drop and often result in loss of consciousness. This can prove fatal, which is why medical errors and doctor mistakes such as misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis cannot be tolerated.
What happens if a bowel obstruction is not treated successfully?
If a complete obstruction is found in the bowel, usually a patient will need to have surgery to have the diseased portion of the bowel removed. If there are surgical mistakes that result in infection or other complications, this can prove extremely problematic for the patient. Again, these sorts of errors are not something we should tolerate given the explicit duties of medical professionals.
How Our Legal Team Can Help You and Your Loved Ones
If you or someone that you love has suffered as a result of an act of medical negligence, a malpractice and cerebral palsy lawyer in Utah will be here for you. We will fight to ensure that you receive damages for any losses, and that the responsible medical professional is held accountable for misdeeds and poor care. In the case of a fatal mistake, we will strive to ensure that you receive peace of mind with the legal proceedings so that you can concentrate on coping with the senseless loss.
Speak with Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Don't go it alone in the court of law. For more information about all of your legal rights, be sure to contact our Utah medical malpractice lawyers today. Our legal team will be here for you and help you achieve justice through sound legal means and extensive knowledge of the law.
